Liberty Trails - Dartmoor Horseback Adventures

Not only no hour of life is lost that is spent in the saddle (Winston Churchill). Especially in these days you must be privileged to spend time riding in this lovey piece of earth letting you soul dangle and deriving new energy. Most reliable! Super horses. Service great. All in all outstanding.

I went on a Liberty Trails trip in June 2021 and it was amazing, I can't recommend it enough! We were in a lovely small group of people with all similar interests and a mutual love of riding. We arrived Friday evening and were greeted by Elaine- she even called us on the way to make sure we knew where we were going and gave us some useful directions. She was our tour guide for the whole weekend and was such a fountain of knowledge about the area having grown up on Dartmoor. The first night we all had a meal together in the house that was organised for the group. We had a personal chef, Dave, who was able to make a meal that suited all of us and took into account all our dietary requirements- no easy thing when there were six of us. His wife Sally provided us with waitress service and was always willing to help out with whatever we needed. Both of them were brilliant the whole weekend. The following day we set off early (after a huge breakfast!) and drove to the moor where we met up with our hired horses. All of them were presented as if we were going out showing, they looked immaculate with hooves polished and everything, not even a speck of dust on them. All of our horses had been picked out for us based on riding ability and experience and I don't think anyone in our group had a bad match. We rode for a couple of hours then were met by Bob (human) and Boris (dog) who had a delicious picnic laid out for us in the middle of the moor with seats overlooking an expansive view of several Tors. We rode for a few more hours in the afternoon, at a mixed pace so it wasn't all in walk by any means- we got our pace up over the hills! We were then met back at the lorries by Bob and Boris again- accompanied by whisky and port. The following day we all discussed what we'd like to do as the weather forecast was telling us there was 96% chance of torrential rain. We chose to have a longer ride in the morning and then hop off at lunchtime rather than plodding on through the storm and it turned out very much in our favour. We had a magical ride through the fog in the morning at a faster pace than the day before and then went home for a late lunch. The house we stayed at (Whitelady House) was wonderful with all the amenities you could ask for (private chef included) and a lovely garden where a few of us sat when the weather was dry, and a hot tub for those so inclined. There was a good amount of parking for everyone and it wasn't difficult for us to find the place using GoogleMaps. The horses we had were beyond what I could have imagined. All of us said how wonderful they were, none of them are lazy so we really could just sit back and relax, enjoying the scenery rather than having to kick on all the time. I was lucky enough to ride two horses (due to a rider not wanting to risk the rain, so I took her horse) both of which were lovely and really affable. These horses know the terrain so well that the rocks of the tors prove no challenge for them. They are sure-footed, incredibly fit and confident marching on even after several hours riding and as previously mentioned they were turned out beautifully each morning. I would absolutely recommend going with Liberty Trails, I just had the best time and wish I could do it again every weekend! All the staff, from Elaine, our guide, and Caroline, our guide- in- training, and Bob and Boris, were all excellent and more than happy to oblige with all requests. We had constant check-ins to make sure that everyone was still having fun and amendments were made to ensure everyone was happy and safe on the day. It couldn't have been better!

I have been lucky enough to ride in Dartmoor twice with LT. FIRST THE Dartmoor Derby in 2019 and then a riding weekend last September run within covid restrictions and a house party of 6. Both events were fabulous . The organisation, the crew, the riding, food even the weather! And most importantly the horses, especially Hugo! Were outstanding The horses were looked after magnificently and were fit, sure footed and well matched for each rider. Accommodation especially White Lady house (my favourite) is top quality and our hosts welcomed us and looked after us beautifully with exquisite food. All food and drink is included in the price. There is even a hot tub and the services of a professional masseur and physio. Days riding on the Moor are beautiful and rides are suited to the groups experience. Our rider guides very knowledgeable giving us lots of history about the moor. Lunch is generally taken on the hoof or nearby anyway. I can't wait to return to see old friends both 2 legs and 4 legs. Highly recommended for a quality riding holiday.. Ri